Vendée Globe

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Yacht race

Vendée GlobeFirst held| 1989

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Type| single-handed non-stop round-the-world race
Classes| IMOCA 60
Start| Les Sables-d'Olonne
Finish| Les Sables-d'Olonne
Length| 24,000 nmi (44,000 km)
Most titles| Michel Desjoyeaux (2)
Website| www.vendeeglobe.org

The Vendée Globe is a single-handed (solo) non-stop, unassisted round the world yacht race.[1][2] The race was founded by Philippe Jeantot in 1989,[3] and since 1992 has taken place every four years. It is named after the Département of Vendée, in France, where the race starts and ends. The Vendée Globe is considered an extreme quest of individual endurance and the ultimate test in ocean racing.[4][5]

## The race

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### History

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The race was founded as "The Globe Challenge" in 1989 by French yachtsman Philippe Jeantot.[6] Jeantot had competed in the BOC Challenge in 1982–83 and 1986–87, winning the 60-foot class ("Class I") both times. The BOC Challenge was sailed in stages with sailors being given the chance to rest and repair their boats at ports around the world.[6]Unsatisfied with the race's format, he decided to set up a new round-the-world non-stop race, which he felt would be the ultimate challenge for single-handed sailors.[7]

The first race was run in 1989–90, and was won by Titouan Lamazou; Jeantot himself took part, and placed fourth.[8] The next race was in 1992–93; and it has since then been run every four years. The inaugural race included 11 Frenchmen, one South African (Bertie Reed) and one American (Mike Plant).[9]

### Yachts

[edit]

Hommage au Vendée Globe by Raphaël Toussaint, 1999

The race is open to monohull yachts conforming to the Open 60 class criteria. Prior to 2004, the race was also open to Open 50 boats. The Open classes are unrestricted in certain aspects, but a box rule governs parameters such as overall length, draught, appendages and stability, as well as numerous other safety features.

The race presents significant challenges; most notable are the severe wind and wave conditions in the Southern Ocean, the long unassisted duration of the race, and the fact that the course takes competitors far from the reach of any normal emergency response. A significant proportion of the entrants usually retire, and in the 1996–97 race Canadian Gerry Roufs was lost at sea.[10]

### Course

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The race starts and finishes in Les Sables-d'Olonne, in the Département of Vendée, in France; both Les Sables d’Olonne and the Vendée Conseil Général are official race sponsors.[11] The course is essentially a circumnavigation along the clipper route: from Les Sables d’Olonne, down the Atlantic Ocean to the Cape of Good Hope; then clockwise around Antarctica, keeping Cape Leeuwin and Cape Horn to port; then back to Les Sables d’Olonne.[12] The race generally covers approximately 24,000 nautical miles (44,000 km) and runs from November to February, timed to place the competitors in the Southern Ocean during the austral summer.[13]

Ice Exclusion Zone

Additional waypoints may be set in the sailing instructions for a particular race, to ensure safety relative to ice conditions, weather, etc.[14] There is also an exclusion zone set around Antarctica where competitors are prohibited to sail due to risk of icebergs.[15]

The competitors may stop at anchor, but may not draw alongside a quay or another vessel; they may receive no outside assistance, including customised weather or routing information. The only exception is that a competitor who has an early problem may return to the start for repairs and then restart the race, as long as the restart is within 10 days of the official start.

### Qualification

[edit]

To mitigate the risks, competitors are required to undergo medical and survival courses. They must also be able to demonstrate prior racing experience; either a completed single-handed trans-oceanic race or the completion of a previous Vendée Globe. The qualifying race must have been completed on the same boat as the one the sailor will race in the Vendée Globe; or the competitor must complete an additional trans-oceanic observation passage, of not less than 2,500 miles (4,000 km), at an average speed of at least 7 knots (13 km/h), with his or her boat.

## Participation

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| 1989–90 | 1992–93 | 1996–97 | 2000–01 | 2004–05 | 2008–09 | 2012–13 | 2016–17 | 2020–21 | 2024–25 | Total

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Finishers Overall
Total | 7 | 7 | 6 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 18 | 25 | 32 | 146
First Time | 7 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 16 | 100
Start / Finishers (%) | 53.8 | 50 | 40 | 62.5 | 65 | 40 | 55 | 62.1 | 75.8 | 80 | 61.3
Male | 7 | 7 | 5 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 18 | 21 | 27 | 131
Male - First Time | 7 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 87
Female |  |  | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 |  | 4 | 5 | 15
Female - First Time |  |  | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 |  | 4 | 3 | 13
Starters
Total | 13 | 14 | 15 | 24 | 20 | 30 | 20 | 29 | 33 | 40 | 238
First Time | 13 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 12 | 16 | 5 | 14 | 18 | 15 | 130
Male | 13 | 14 | 13 | 22 | 18 | 28 | 19 | 29 | 27 | 34 | 217
Male – First Time | 13 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 10 | 14 | 5 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 115
Female | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 21
Female – First Time | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 15
Starter Age
Youngest | 27* | 30* | 29 | 24 | 29 | 25 | 27 | 23 | 27 | 23 | 23
Oldest | 46* | 64* | 57 | 59 | 54 | 58 | 57 | 66 | 61 | 65 | 66
Mean | 38* | 39* | 39 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 44 | 43 | 43 | –
Starters' Nationality
AUS |  |  |  |  | 1 |  |  | 0.5 | 0.5 |  | 2
AUT |  |  |  |  | 1 | 1 |  |  |  |  | 2
BEL |  |  | 1 | 1 |  |  |  |  |  | 1 | 3
CAN |  |  | 1 |  | 0.5 | 1 |  |  |  |  | 2.5
CHN |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1 | 1
ESP |  | 1 |  | 1 |  | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |  | 6
FIN |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1 |  | 1
FRA | 11 | 8.5 | 10 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 17 | 12.5 | 19.5 | 22 | 26.5 | 152
GBR |  | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 29
GER |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1.5 | 1.5 | 3
HUN |  | 1 | 1 |  |  |  |  | 1 |  | 1 | 4
ITA |  | 1 |  | 2 |  |  | 0.5 |  | 1 | 1 | 5.5
IRL |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1 |  |  | 1
JPN |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3
NED |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1 |  |  | 1
NZL |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0.5 |  | 0.5 | 1
POL |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1 |  |  |  | 1
RSA | 1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1
RUS |  |  |  | 1 |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1
SUI |  | 0.5 |  | 2.5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 13
USA | 1 |  |  |  | 1 | 1 |  | 1.5 |  | 0.5 | 5

Note * Some sailors' there dates of birth unknown

## Results

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### Overall winners

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* Titouan Lamazou (FRA) Écureuil d'Aquitaine II
1989–1990 Winner

* Alain Gautier (FRA)
Bagages Superior
1992–1993 Winner

* Christophe Auguin (FRA)
Geodis
1996–1997 Winner

* Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA)
PRB 2
2000–2001 Winner

* Vincent Riou (FRA)
PRB 2
2004–2005 Winner

* Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA)
Foncia
2008–2009 Winner

* François Gabart (FRA)
Macif
2012–2013 Winner

* Armel Le Cléac'h (FRA)
Banque Populaire VIII
2016–2017 Winner

* Yannick Bestaven (FRA)
Maître Coq IV
2020–2021 Winner

* Charlie Dalin (FRA)
Macif Santé Prévoyance
2024–2025 Winner

### Overall winners' times

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Ed | Year | Skipper
/ Boat Name | 24hr Run | Equator | Cape of Good Hope | Leeuwin | Cape Horn | Equator | Finish Line

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1 | 1989 |  Titouan Lamazou (FRA)
/ Écureuil d'Aquitaine II | 304 nm  |  |  |  |  |  | 109d 08h 48m
2 | 1992 |  Alain Gautier (FRA)
/ Bagages Superior | 339 nm  |  |  |  |  |  | 110d 02h 22m
3 | 1996 |  Christophe Auguin (FRA)
/ Geodis |  |  |  |  |  |  | 105d 20h 31m
4 | 2000 |  Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA)
/ PRB 2 |  |  |  |  |  |  | 093d 03h 57m
5 | 2004 |  Vincent Riou (FRA)
/ PRB 2 |  | 10d 12h 13m | 24d 02h 18m | 36d 09h 48m | 56d 15h 13m | 72d 11h 24m | 086d 32h 13m
6 | 2008 |  Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA)
/ Foncia | 466 nm  | 13d 15h 41m | 27d 00h 34m | 37d 31h 23m | 56d 15h 08m | 71d 17h 12m | 084d 03h 09m
7 | 2012 |  François Gabart (FRA)
/ Macif | 534 nm  | 11d 00h 20m | 23d 03h 43m | 34d 10h 23m | 52d 06h 18m | 66d 01h 39m | 078d 02h 16m
8 | 2016 |  Armel Le Cléac'h (FRA)
/ Banque Populaire VIII |  | 09d 09h 56m | 18d 03h 30m | 28d 20h 12m | 47d 00h 32m | 61d 12h 21m | 074d 03h 36m
9 | 2020 |  Yannick Bestaven (FRA)
/ Maître Coq IV | 481.8 (7th)  |  |  | 35d 01h 25m | 55d 00h 22m | 69d 13h 16m | 080d 03h 44m
10 | 2024 |  Charlie Dalin (FRA)
/ Macif Santé Prévoyance |  | 11d 09h 03m | 19d 03h 43m | 29d 02h 10m | 43d 11h 34m | 56d 02h 36m | 064d 19h 23m

### Farthest distance covered in 24 hours

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Edition | Year | Skipper | Boat Name | nautical miles/24h

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1 | 1989–1990 |  Titouan Lamazou (FRA) | Écureuil d'Aquitaine II | 304
2 | 1992–1993 |  Alain Gautier (FRA) | Bagages Superior | 339
3 | 1996–1997 |  Yves Parlier (FRA) | Aquitaine Innovations | 374
4 | 2000–2001 |  Dominique Wavre (SUI) | Union bancaire privée | 430
5 | 2004–2005 |  Roland Jourdain (FRA) | Sill et Veolia | 439
6 | 2008–2009 |  Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA) | Foncia | 466
7 | 2012–2013 |  François Gabart (FRA) | Macif | 534
8 | 2016–2017 |  Alex Thomson (GBR) | Hugo Boss 6 | 536
9 | 2020–2021 |  Thomas Ruyant (FRA) | LinkedOut | 515
10 | 2024–2025 | TBC

### Winners' participation and equipment

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Skipper Previous Participation and Boat Information  Year | Skipper | Previous
Start/Finish (Best)  | Name of Boat | Sail No. | Designer | Builder | Year Launched | Notes | Ref.

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1989–1990 |  Titouan Lamazou (FRA) | N/A  | Écureuil d'Aquitaine II |  | Luc Bouvet
Olivier Petit | Chantier Capitaine Flint | 1989 |  | [16]
1992–1993 |  Alain Gautier (FRA) | 1 / 1 6th  | Bagages Superior |  | Finot-Conq | CDK Technologies (FRA) | 1992 | Aluminum Construction  | [17]
1996–1997 |  Christophe Auguin (FRA) | Never  | Geodis |  | Finot-Conq | JMV Industries (FRA) | 1994 |  | [18]
2000–2001 |  Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA) | Never  | PRB 2 | FRA 85  | Finot-Conq | Mag (FRA) | 1999 |  | [19]
2004–2005 |  Vincent Riou (FRA) | Never
2008–2009 |  Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA) | 1 / 1 (1st)  | Foncia | FRA 101  | Farr Yacht Design | CDK Technologies (FRA) | 2007 |  | [20]
2012–2013 |  François Gabart (FRA) | Never  | Macif | FRA 301  | Verdier / VPLP | CDK Technologies (FRA)
Green Marine (GBR) | 2011 |  | [21]
2016–2017 |  Armel Le Cléac'h (FRA) | 2 / 2 (2nd)  | Banque Populaire VIII | FRA 18  | Verdier / VPLP | CDK Technologies (FRA) | 2015 |  | [22]
2020–2021 |  Yannick Bestaven (FRA) | 1 / 0  | Maître Coq IV | FRA 17  | Verdier / VPLP | CDK Technologies (FRA) | 2015-03-02 | Hydrofoil  | [23]
2024–2025 |  Charlie Dalin (FRA) | 1 / 1 (2nd)  | Macif Santé Prévoyance | FRA 79  | Verdier | CDK Technologies (FRA) | 2023-06-24 | Hydrofoil / SCOW  | [24]

*   *   *   *   *   *

## See also

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* Oceans portal
* Sports portal
* World portal

IMOCA races

* The Barcelona World Race, a non-stop two handed race, currently run using the IMOCA 60 Class.
* Route du Rhum
* The Velux 5 Oceans Race, a stopping solo race, currently run using the IMOCA 60 Class previously known as the BOC Challenge, later as Around Alone.
* The Ocean Race, a stopping fully crewed race, currently using the Volvo Ocean 65 and IMOCA 60 class. Previously known as the Whitbread Round The World Race and the Volvo Ocean Race.

Other races

* The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, a stopping crewed race for amateur crews using the Clipper 70 Class.
* Jules Verne Trophy
* Oryx Quest
* Arkéa Ultim Challenge

Former races including

* The Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, held in 1968–1969, the first round-the-world yacht race.
* The BT Global Challenge, was a race held every four years and followed the westward route.
* The Race, was a race held in 2000, involving multihulls.
* The Oryx Quest, held in 2005, starting from Qatar.

Other speed sailing records

* Speed sailing record
* World Sailing Speed Record Council
* Transatlantic sailing record

* Circumnavigation
* List of circumnavigations

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Vendée Globe: Thomson Leads into the Doldrums". Scuttlebutt Sailing News. 13 November 2016. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
2. ^ "Home Page, Vendée Globe 2016–2017 [race]". vendeeglobe.org. 13 November 2016. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
3. ^ "Vendee Globe 2012–13: Francois Gabart Breaks Solo Record [BBC Sport: Sailing]". BBC Sport. 27 January 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
4. ^ Museler, Chris (9 November 2008). "Racers in Vendée Globe Start Nonstop Solo Quest". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 December 2008. "Compared with other global ocean races […] the Vendée Globe is considered the most extreme sailing event in the world"
5. ^ "Vendée Globe: Sailing's Everest". The Independent. 11 November 2008. Archived from the original on 11 August 2022. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
6. ^ a b The Museum of Yachting (14 November 2016) [1990]. "Philippe Jeantot, 1952–". The Single-Handed Sailors' Hall of Fame. Newport, RI: The Museum of Yachting. Retrieved 14 November 2016 - via Windlass Creative [Sally Anne Santos]. "[Quote:] Inducted to Single-Handed Sailors' Hall of Fame, 1990."
7. ^ "Introduction". Vendée Globe. Archived from the original on 15 May 2008. Retrieved 8 December 2016.[independent source needed]
8. ^ "Edition 1989/1990 : Une grande course est née". Vendée Globe (in French). Archived from the original on 22 October 2004. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
9. ^ "Vendée Globe 1989–90". Vendée Globe. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
10. ^ Evans, Jeremy (1 April 2008). Sailing. Dorling Kindersley Ltd. p. 317\. ISBN 978-1-4053-3472-3. "Tragically, another life was lost as French Canadian Gerry Roufs was lost at sea"
11. ^ "Partners – Vendée Globe 2016–2017". vendeeglobe.org. 13 November 2016. Retrieved 13 November 2016.[independent source needed]
12. ^ Nielsen, Peter (11 May 2016). "Inside the Vendée Globe". Sail Magazine. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
13. ^ "Vendee Globe: The race to the end of the world". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
14. ^ Laven, Kate (3 December 2012). "Vendee Globe 2012–13: Dicing with ice as fleet heads into desolate Southern Ocean". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
15. ^ "What is the Vendée Globe? | Vendée Globe 2024".
16. ^ "Boat History Page". Retrieved 28 January 2021.
17. ^ "Boat History Page". Retrieved 28 January 2021.
18. ^ "Boat History Page". Retrieved 28 January 2021.
19. ^ "Document sans titre". Histoiredeshalfs.com. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
20. ^ "Boat History Page". Retrieved 28 January 2021.
21. ^ "Boat History Page". Retrieved 28 January 2021.
22. ^ Thierry Tazé-Bernard (15 January 2015). "Armel Le Cléac'h dévoile son novateur Banque Populaire VIII". francetvsport.fr. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
23. ^ "IMOCA Class Website Boat Profile". IMOCA Class Association. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
24. ^ "IMOCA Class Website Boat Profile". IMOCA Class Association. Retrieved 15 January 2025.

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vendée Globe.

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Vendée Globe

1989–1990 Vendée Globe|

* First:  Titouan Lamazou (FRA)
* Second:  Loïck Peyron (FRA)
* Third:  Jean-Luc Van Den Heede (FRA)
* Winning boat: Écureuil d'Aquitaine II

1992–1993 Vendée Globe|

* First:  Alain Gautier (FRA)
* Second:  Jean-Luc Van Den Heede  (FRA)
* Third:  Philippe Poupon (FRA)
* Winning boat: Bagages Superior

1996–1997 Vendée Globe|

* First:  Christophe Auguin (FRA)
* Second:  Marc Thiercelin (FRA)
* Third:  Hervé Laurent (FRA)
* Winning boat: Geodis

2000–2001 Vendée Globe|

* First:  Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA)
* Second:  Ellen MacArthur (GBR)
* Third:  Roland Jourdain (FRA)
* Winning boat: PRB 2

2004–2005 Vendée Globe|

* First:  Vincent Riou (FRA)
* Second:  Jean Le Cam (FRA)
* Third:  Mike Golding (GBR)
* Winning boat: PRB 2

2008–2009 Vendée Globe|

* First:  Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA)
* Second:  Armel Le Cléac'h (FRA)
* Third:  Vincent Riou (FRA)
* Winning boat: Foncia

2012–2013 Vendée Globe|

* First:  François Gabart (FRA)
* Second:  Armel Le Cléac’h (FRA)
* Third:  Alex Thomson (GBR)
* Winning boat: Macif

2016–2017 Vendée Globe|

* First:  Armel Le Cléac'h (FRA)
* Second:  Alex Thomson (GBR)
* Third:  Jérémie Beyou (FRA)
* Winning boat: Banque Populaire VIII

2020–2021 Vendée Globe|

* First:  Yannick Bestaven (FRA)
* Second:  Charlie Dalin (FRA)
* Third:  Louis Burton (FRA)
* Winning boat: Maître Coq IV

2024–2025 Vendée Globe|

* First:  Charlie Dalin (FRA)
* Second:  Yoann Richomme (FRA)
* Third: TBD
* Winning boat: Macif Santé Prévoyance

* v
* t
* e

Offshore sailing races

Single Person races|

* Sunday Times Golden Globe Race
* Vendée Globe
* Velux 5 Oceans Race
* The OSTAR
* The Transat
* Solitaire du Figaro
* Mini Transat Race
* Polonez Cup
* Route du Rhum
* Generali Solo [fr]
* Transat B to B / Retour à la base
* Transat New York Vendée
* Vendée Arctique
* Arkea Ultim Challenge
* Le Défi Azimut
* Défi atlantique [fr]
* Global Solo Challenge

Two Person races|

* Barcelona World Race
* Regata Buenos Aires - Río de Janeiro [es]
* Transat Jacques Vabre
* Two-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race
* Mini-Fastnet [fr]
* Transat AG2R
* Le Défi Azimut
* Global Ocean Race
* Globe40

Crewed Races Offshore|

* Admiral's Cup
* AG2r
* Brisbane to Gladstone yacht race
* Regata Buenos Aires - Río de Janeiro [es]
* Calais Round Britain Race [fr]
* China Sea Race
* EDHEC Sailing Cup
* Fastnet Race
* Fremantle to Bali Race
* Marblehead to Halifax Ocean Race
* Middle Sea Race
* Newport Bermuda Race
* OSTAR
* Oryx Quest
* Round Ireland Yacht Race
* Round Britain & Ireland Race
* RORC Round Britain & Ireland Race
* Route de la découverte [fr]
* Route de l'Or [fr]
* Route Halifax Saint-Pierre Ocean Race
* South Atlantic Race
* Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
* Sywoc
* Tall Ships' Races
* The Ocean Race Europe
* Tour de France à la voile
* Transat Québec-Saint-Malo
* Transpacific Yacht Race

Crewed Races Oceanic|

* Clipper Round the World Yacht Race
* The Ocean Race
* Global Challenge
* The Race
* Jules Verne Trophy
* Ocean Globe Race

46°29′42″N 1°47′19″W﻿ / ﻿46.4951°N 1.7886°W﻿ / 46.4951; -1.7886
*[FRA]: France
*[SUI]: Switzerland
*[GBR]: Great Britain
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template